Drilling right angled hole

[dave]

Well, drilling a hole a right angles is what I meant to say. I need to drill 12mm holes through some wooden roof trusses/beams in the garage (~10cm total depth). So can to tie them togther with bolts. I have a descent SDS drill with chuck add-on but of course the combination is way to long to fit between each beam. There really is not much space in there.

I found this on ebay

is only 10mm max.

Maybe a bigger one is available but wondered if anyone has suggestions as to the best way to do this? thanks.

[Ben Blaukopf]

The SDS is the wrong tool for this. It's too big, and overpowered! Borrow a normal drill off someone (or just buy a cheapy) and use a stubby auger bit or a cut-down spade bit. You should have enough space then.

That's the chuck, not the maximum hole. Any spade bit will fit. Some auger bits might

[dave]

I like that it has plenty of torque :-) point taken

ebay

> but is only 10mm max.

Ah - yes - I just happen to have a nice new 12mm bit (for steel) but it seems to like wood too. Have a ancient Wolf elec. drill... somewhere. thanks

[Dave Liquorice]

Are you drilling all the bits of timber in one single action or a hole in one bit and a hole in another then lining up? If the later you may find one of these useful:

will make sure that the holes are at right angles in both axis (left/right, front/back). I suspect drilling free hand won't be that good over that sort of distance not of you want the bolt(s) to be snug fits through all the hole that is.

Fitting in the gap between rafters still might be fun.

[Andrew Mawson]

bolts.

but is only 10mm max.

suggestions

I made up an adaptor for an angle grinder to screw onto the 14mm thread and take a small chuck. Worked very well drilling joists for wiring despite theoretically spinning to fast . Simple turning job if you have a lathe.

AWEM

[Alan]

In message , dave wrote

This will be the max size of drill or spindle that the chuck will take so use a spade bit in it.

[John Rumm]

but is only 10mm max.

That's 10mm shank size. So a small spade bit would do what you want in that.

There are other options - if the hole does not need to be exactly square to the timber, then sticking a long (>= 450mm) bit in the drill may allow you to approach the beam at a shallow enough angle anyway even of the drill won't go in the gap.

Failing that a decent worm thread auger bit designed for power driving will have a hex shank - that could be driven with a socket set ratchet driver.

e.g:

Maybe a bigger one is available but wondered if anyone has suggestions

Some other info here:

[Grimly Curmudgeon]

We were somewhere around Barstow, on the edge of the desert, when the drugs began to take hold. I remember dave saying something like:

have a decent one from Axminster they don't seem to stock any more. Whatever, just ignore the 10mm max - it'll quite happily drill your 12mm holes with an auger or spade bit, both of which have a smaller shank size.